1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools used by workmen on a job site, such as for carpenters, masons, construction workers, and especially carpet installers. People involved in any sort of building activity are usually examining blueprints, material lists, instructions and the like. Corrections and additions to these items are usually done with a pencil, which will go dull quickly in any typical environment of this sort. The same thing can be said for utility knives and jack knives, which are used frequently by people in these professions to cut string, mats and other assorted materials associated with their work. It would be of the utmost convenience to have a tool handy that can sharpen these various implements without the workman having to search for or carry around with him separate tools for each task.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,515 issued to Mayer discloses a knife blade sharpener that is integrally mounted onto the scabbard of a knife. The sharpener is of the slot variety in which the knife blade is drawn through the slot to sharpen it. This device provides for no other functions besides holding a knife.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,867 issued to Tsao describes a multifunction tool which includes a retractable measuring tape, a pencil sharpener, a blade and other stationery tool elements that are frequently used for office work purposes. This tool is arranged in the manner similar to that of a Swiss Army knife. This tool is not merely a modified conventional tool, but a completely new construct. In this regard, it is something that would be difficult to construct and complex to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 752,339 issued to Gutstein discloses a pair of shears having a tape measurer and a pencil sharpener attached thereto. This tool would be clumsy to use as the individual components are not well packaged and integrated together.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,137 issued to Dombrowski describes a tape measurer having an integral pencil sharpener. It does not include a blade sharpener. Putting a blade sharpener with this particular tool would be difficult to do as can be seen from the drawings, as the sharpener is inserted into the center of the tape roll. Additionally, the tape roll here could not be retractable because the pencil sharpener is disposed where the coiled spring would be. This takes away from the usefulness of the device.